Improved brick-machine



compartments, which constitute the molds,

UNITED STATES PATENT EricE.

HENRY C. BULL, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.l

IMPRO'VED BRI CK-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY C. BULL, ofLouisville, Jefferson county, Kentucky, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Making Bricks; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making partof this specification. The first part of my invention relates to animproved feed-wheel for drawing the tempered mud from the hopper' andforcing it down into the molds, which are contained within a suitablemold wheel or cylinder.

The second part of my invention relates to a mold-wheel provided with anumber of radial and also to certain devices for expelling the moldedclay from said wheel'and deliveringit into a movable mold placed upon anendless carrier.

The third part of my invention pertains to a portable mold in which thebricks are removed from the' endless carrier and taken to the yard to besun-dried before before being burned in the kiln.

Figure lis a perspective view of a brickmachine embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the feed and moldwheels. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the mold-wheel. Fig. 4is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of' one of the plungerswith its keys and other accessories. Fig. 5 is a plan of one of saidkeys. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, showing the mode of constructing thefeed-wheel buckets. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the device forsupporting the endless carrier when the pressure is brought to bear uponthe same. Fig. 8 represents a longitudinal section through my improvedcarrying-off mold.

A is a frame-work of the machine, in which there is journaled thehorizontal driving-shaft B, said shaft being provided with twosegment-pinions, b b, and two driving-pulleys, b' b'. Thesegment-pinions b b communicate an alternate intermittent rotarymovement to the spur-wheels C C' and D D', of which the spurwheels C C'are secured to the boss E of the feeding-wheel F, while the spur-wheelsD D' are attached to the horizontal projection G of the mold-wheel H.

F' is the shaft to which the boss E of the feed-wheel F is attached, andsaid feed-wheel revolves within a rectangular hopper, A', into which thetempered clay is delivered from a suitable pug-mill placed immediatelyover the hopper.

The hopper A' has a horizontal and concave bottom a'. l

The feed-wheel vF is armed with a number of movable buckets providedwith blades F", and the blades of each pair of buckets are connected toone another by the armsf, which play in radial slots f' in saidfeed-wheel. This feed-wheel revolves in the direction shown by the redarrow in Fig. 2, and when one of the projecting blades F", has reached ahorizontal position it is forced back, by devices which will behereinafter explained, and the opposite blade of this bucket rests onthe horizontal ledge a of the hopper A'.

The intermittent rotary movement of the feed-wheel F forces a uniformquantity of clay from the hopper A', down the inclined chute B', intothe radial molds contained in the mold-wheel H. l

ledge, a,

The hollow mold-wheel H is providedwith L a number of longitudinal andradial compartments, H', and said 'mold wheel revolves around aninternal fixed cylinder, I, having a longitudinal slot, z', andtransverse slots t" t'". The radial compartments 'H' are divided inthree equal subdivisions, by means of the partitions 7a h', saidsubdivisions being equal to the length of an ordinary brick.

H" is a guard-plate extending one-fourth of the way around the outsideof the mold-wheel, for the purpose of retaing the clay within the moldsuntil the compartments containing the clay have reached a positiondirectly under the axis of the mold-wheel H.

J J J, 86o., are a series of movable plungers, which play within theradial compartments H', and said plungers are retained in their positionwithin the compartments H' by means of bolts J', which are forced intosockets j on the inside of the mold-wheel H, and the bolts J' areretracted by devices which will be hereinafter explained.

K is a shaft, which is confined to avertical path within thelongitudinal slot i by means of the guide-rods L L, whose upper andlower ends are rounded and play within the boxes Z l'. Motion iscommunicated to the shaft K by the pitman M M, whose upper ends areatwhen the shoulder n' comes in contact with as the revolution of themold-wheel brings the transverse frame, Q, having braces q, and their tobearupon the top of it, I provide the foltached to the cranks m m of theshafts M' `M', and said shafts are secured to the pinions m on'. which-gear with the spur-wheels C C'.

N N are two keys, connected at right angles to the shaft K, and saidkeys have a vertical motion within the transverse slots 'i' i". Thesekeys are provided at their lower ends with cross-heads N N', havingconverging shoulders n u', which serveto operate the bolts J of theplungers J.

The interior face of each of the plungers J is compassed by a plate, O,(sce Fig. 4,) having a recess,- P, between it and the exterior portion,J, and the bolts J are secured within said recess. The plate O isprovided with two' transverse slots, o o, of suficient width toenablethe keys N N to traverse them.

Each of the bolts J have sockets P', whose shoulders p p' diverge towardthat end of the recess which first receives the cross-heads N N', andwhen the shoulder a impinges against the shoulder p the bolts J areretracted 5 but the shoulder p the bolts are forced out so as to engagewith the pockets j, and there they are securely held by the springs j'.

O' O O" are three exterior plun gers, which are employedfor the purposeof imparting an additional pressure tothe clay contained in thc radial1nolding-com-partments H as sooncompartments to a horizontal position.

The plungers O' 0" O'" are attached to a frames and braces have theirends connected to the side bars, Q' Q', of a cross-head, R. Thecross-head R has a rectilinear motion imparted to it by the wedges 7c kot' the shaft L heilig brought to bear alternately against the inclinedshoulders r r of the cross-head at each and every stroke of said shaftL.

S S' 4are fingers, which are pivoted to the upper part of a vibratoryyoke, T, said yoke being operated by the pitmen t t, which derive theirmotion from the cranks s s attached to the ends ofthe main driving-shaftB.

U is an endless carrier having anti-friction rollers u, which run upon arailway, V, and said carrier is propelled by the octagonal wheel W. Thewheel W may be driven by a band extend-` ing from the projection Gr ofthe mold-Wheel to the pulley w; but I prefer to use gearing, in order tohave a positive motion communicated from the mold-wheel to the endlesscarrier. The slats which compose the endless carrier have apertures u ateach end for the insertion of the pins .fr .fr of the movable mold X.

In order to prevent the sagging down of the endless carrier when thepressure is brought lowing device: placed directly under the center ofthe mold-wheel H is a shaft, Y, having suitable journal-bearings at eachend and providediwith loose pinionsY, which gear with racks L' L'. f.

Z is a disk attached to the loose pinion Y' and provided on its innerface with a springcatch, Z', which engages with aprojection, z, on theshaft Y.

Y" is a 'cam attached to the shaft Y, and whenthe latter is rotated inthe direction indicated by the red arrow the cam forces a beam, YV', upagainst the under side of the endless carrier and retains it there aslong as the pressure is bearing on the top of said carrier. The beam W'is secured to the free end of a vibratorv lever U' and whose other endis pivoted at r to a standard, which supports the railway V.

The movable mold which rests upon the endless carrier U is composed otan ordinary body or frame, X, divided 1lnto three equal divisions,corresponding in size to those ot' the mold-wheel H; bm,instead ofbeing` constructed with a fixed bottom, as is customary, I provide amovable bottom, X', having apertures near each end, through which areinserted the short guide-rods w', said rods being secured to the bodyot' the mold, and are provided with heads, which prevent the bottom frombeing detached from the body of the mold. This movable bottom admits theair to the back ot' the clay contained in the mold and causes the clayto leave the mold more readily when the latter is inverted.

Operation The machine being supposed to be in the position representedin Figs. 1 and 2, withthe hopper A' full of tempered clay and one of thecompartments H' of the moldwheel H being directly under the mouth of theinclined chute B', the power is then applied to the driving-shaft B. Thesegment pinions b b are first brought in gear with the spur-wheels C C',compelling them to make one-eighth of anA entire revolution, andcarrying the` feedwheel F around with them an equal distance. Thispartial revolution otthe feed-,wheel causes the extended blades'F" ofthe buckets to force a definite quantity of tempered clay down theinclined chute B', and packs it firmly into that compartment or moldwhich is stationed under the delivering end of said inclined chute. Thepinions b b now communicate motion to the spur-wheels D D', when saidwheels andthe mold-wheel H, also, )erform one-eighth of a revolution,and simultaneous with this movement the cranks s s bring the tingers SSinto play, so as to force the blades' F" of the buckets back from theirextended position and enable them to clear the concave bottom ot' of thehopper A'. At the third movement of the moldwheel H the compartment H',which was first to receive the clay, arrives at a horizontal po sition,at which time the clay receives an additional pressure from theexternalplungers,0 0" 0"', and after passing this point the clay isprevented from dropping 4out of the moldwheelby means of the guard-plateH.`

During the time that the mold-Wheelismakling one-half of an entirerevolution the plungers J J J are retained in afixed position within thecompartments H of said wheel by means of the bolts J', which are forcedinto pockets j by the sprin gs j' but When the moldwheel has performedone-half of a revolution and the plungers J have arrived at a pointdirectly under that where they were filled, the converging shoulders pof the plungenbolts J are brought in contact with the tapering shouldersn of the cross-heads N', and said plungerbolts areinstantly Withdrawnfrom their sockets. At this moment the crank m performs a revolution andcompels the guide-rods L L to descend, and with them the shaft Kand keysN N, thus depressing theplungers J from their fixed position and forcingthe clay which was adhering to them into one of the movable molds whichhad previously been placed upon t'ne endless carrier. Simultaneous withthis depression of the plunger J v the beam W is forced up against theunder side of the endless carrier U bymeans of the cam Y", and thusprevents said carrier from being injured by the pressure which isbrought to bear upon it. The continued revolution of the crank melevates the guide-rods L L, and with them the shaft K, keysNN, and theaccompanying plunger J, and as the mold-Wheel H revolves the shoulder p'impinges against the shoulder n of the cross-head N', and thus forcesthe bolt J' into the pocketsj, Whereit is retained by the sprin gs j'The plunger J, being 110W released from the cross-head N', is confinedin a proper position Within its compartment H', and as the mold-wheel Hrevolves the plunger is carried along with it, and as soon as it arrivesat a position directly under the mouth of the inclined chute B' it isagain filled with clay, when the above-described operation of pressingthe clay by the exterior plungers,0' O" 0"', and of forcing it ont intothe movable mold X, is

-described accessories or equivalents, in combination With keys N andcross-heads N', or their equivalent devices, for the purposes specilied.

4. The fingers S S', or their equivalents, for

shifting the movable blades of the feed-Wheel in the manner described.

5. The arrangement of exterior plungers, O' O" 0"', for imparting anadditional pressure to the clay, as set forth.

6. The frame Q, braces q, side bars, Q' Q', cross-head R, and theiraccessories for operating their exterior plungers,0' 0"0"',substantially as set forth.

7. The arrangement of racks L' L', pinions Y', spring-catch Z', shaft Y,and cam Y", for

the purpose described.

8. The mold X, having a movable bottom, X', as described.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

HENRY C. BULL.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, J AMES H. LAYMAN.

